Bentonville man gets 30 years for 20 counts related to child pornography

(Stock image)
(Stock image)


BENTONVILLE -- A Bentonville man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday for possessing child pornography.

Johnathan Dial, 46, pleaded guilty to 20 counts of distributing, possession or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.

Dial was arrested in July 2021. Bentonville police started investigating in 2020 after receiving a report concerning child pornography being uploaded on the internet, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police obtained a warrant and seized several electronic devices from Dial's residence, according to the affidavit.

A computer was examined and police discovered 7,468 images, videos and files depicting child sexual abuse material and 271 images and videos of child erotica material, according to the affidavit.

Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren sentenced Dial to 30 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Dial must register as a sex offender. He was ordered to enroll and participate in a sex offender treatment program.

The judge ordered Dial not to have any contact with any minors except his biological children.


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